Essays are concise pieces that every student encounters at some point in his course of study. Teachers often encourage students to keep essays to five paragraphs to keep them focused on their topic. The basic structure for these assignments is an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. The opening paragraph introduces what the essay will discuss, the body with one idea flushed out in each paragraph and a conclusion that recaps the main points of the essay.
Types of essays are broken down by how you present your topic. A cause and effect paper discusses what made an event happen, what the effect was and the connection between the two. Compare and contrast essays examine the similarities and differences of a topic. Description essays focus on imparting small details and creating a realistic scenario. Persuasive essays present your view on the topic and provide convincing support of your opinion.
Research assignments are usually longer than essays and students use sources outside of literature to support their position. Research papers give the students an opportunity to discover new ideas about a topic and discuss them, in detail. However, this isn't a summary of what you've learned. Your research paper should support your interpretation of the subject matter and use the sources to support your position.
Unlike essays, research papers usually fall into one of two categories: argumentative or analytical. An argumentative research paper presents a topic and discusses the writer's opinion on it, persuading the reader to think a certain way. Most writers choose a controversial topic or viewpoint as the subject of their argumentative research paper. On the other hand, analytical research papers are the result of a writer's asking a question or exploring a topic on which he has no opinion. From there, the writer looks for a new way to interpret the subject.